Alois in Wonderland
by Strawberie La
Summary: A very twisted, very dark, Wonderland in which Alois Trancy falls down a Spider-Hole. Though Alois isn't sure if he's really just dreaming this nightmare or not... Warning: Drugs, alcohol, sex, prostitution, attempted rape, murder ClaudexAlois
1. Down the Spider Hole

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroshitsuji by Yana Toboso or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

**A/N: **I thought of this story when I first saw a preview for "Ciel in Wonderland". I was sad that it was not about Alois because I think he is much better suited to be Alice, since he has blond hair and looks adorable in blue dresses. His wonderland would also be much more interesting to see since he is, well, Alois, and Alois is insane...Alois' Wonderland would certainly be very sinister. This is why I wanted to write this. My writing focuses heavily on the original story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but I used my official annotated copy with notes by Martin Gardner. This means that I have added references from scenes or ideas that were removed from the final draft of Alice and I have incorporated them here. Forgive me, it may start out a little slow, but in time I hope it becomes as disturbing and twisted as Alois Trancy himself is...

**Spoiler: **None really, but it would be advisable to at least watch the first episode of Kuroshitsuji season 2. Other than that the spoilers are gradual and if you have never watched Kuroshitsuji season 2, there will be very many surprises for you to discover along the way.

**Warning: **Very little for right now, but there are: mentions of opium and other drugs, prostitution, language, cross-dressing, pedophile demons, and of course, Alois Trancy himself.

**Works used for influence: **Narcissus, The Masque of the Red Death, Doctor Faustus, The Golden Key, Phaedrus, The Prince, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Imp of the Perverse, Death in Venice, The Symposium, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, The Tell Tale Heart, Phaedo, and many poems and quotes by Edgar Allan Poe, quotes by Lord Byron, Plato, Pliny the Elder, and Edward Fitzgerald.

* * *

Alois Trancy

in Wonderland

_"I would be done with modern story-spinners, follow with you the laughter and the gleam: weary am I, this night, of saints and sinners."_

(Vincent Starrett)

**Chapter I**

Down the Spider-hole

_"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." _

Edgar Allan Poe

It was on a hot and rather dreamy summer's afternoon that the young master Alois Trancy, officially declared to himself (as he lay sprawled on his stomach, dipping one long finger into his reflection in the lake of his pavilion), that he was thoroughly bored.

This was nothing so _very_ out of the ordinary, as he was quite frequently bored – too bored for his lessons, too bored for parties, and too bored to last even another minute with any of the insufferable grinning fools who came to talk of the late Earl, or the ongoing issue of "the will", or grovel at his feet, hoping to win his heart; the heart that held the key to all of those musty and utterly worthless pounds – the fortune of the Trancy Estate, but it was his, not theirs', and didn't they know that? No…

But to-day, Alois thought, as he shifted uncomfortably over the cool stone to reach into the lake a little further, if things didn't suddenly become very interesting, there would be hell to pay…

It was at this moment that Alois' fantasies of life outside the Estate (dull as they were, for imagination was the one thing he could not demand), was interrupted by a butler neatly dressed all in black, as he stooped low, as if in a deep bow, to place a single glass cup and saucer by his side.

"Master, your tea is ready," His butler murmured.

It was always a dangerous thing to interrupt Alois from whatever he was doing, but nonetheless he withdrew his icy hand from the water and took to shifting the cup precariously around the saucer. "Black-cherry and licorice spice?" He asked, sniffing the cup.

"I believe that's what you desired…"

Alois sipped, savoring the unexpectedly fiery, yet sweet taste on the tip of his tongue. "You've out done yourself this time, Claude," He said happily. At this, the mark on Alois' tongue glowed and he licked his lips. His butler shifted a little, uncomfortable at the electric shock that suddenly pulsed through his hand.

"Well then, if you are satisfied I shall–"

Alois snapped his head up, shockingly blue eyes piercing into his butler's, "No. I'm not satisfied."

Claude sighed and stiffly ran a hand through his black hair as Alois plunged both of his hands back into the water, humming something nonsensical; careful enough to splash as much of the lake as possible onto his polished shoes. Claude gazed at Alois as his master swirled around his own reflection, stroking it now and then; the angelic face of a boy hardly old enough to be an Earl. The reflection smirked, full lips pulled in a knowing smile as half-lidded blue eyes watched his butler's impassive face in the water.

"You're like Narcissus, master," Claude remarked thoughtfully.

His master made a noise of annoyance and rolled onto his back, long legs wrapping around Claude's. He flicked water onto Claude's pants but the butler made no move to break Alois' hold.

"I'm bored." Alois whined, rubbing his bare stockings against Claude.

"Then may I suggest we retire indoors? I could heat you a bath since you have already most assuredly ruined your clothes. You must be soaking…"

Alois aimed a precise kick at Claude's shins. "No! I will bathe later, once indoors there will be nothing to do because there is nothing ever to do!"

Sensing an oncoming temper tantrum, Claude bowed an ever so humbly – "Forgive me master; but how shall I entertain you?" while taking care to look deeply into his Master's eyes.

Alois' breath caught, momentarily lost in the eyes of his butler's – he shook his head, and then skipped over to the pavilion's table all the while tugging at his butler's sleeve for him to follow. "Read to me from this."Alois snatched an old and battered looking book up from the table and then motioned for Claude to sit so that he could clamber into his lap.

Claude took it carefully in his gloved fingers – the pages were already fraying at the slightest touch. He flipped to a page containing a woodcut picture of a little girl in a dress holding a bottle that read, "DRINK ME", "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?" He asked.

"Yes, it's my favorite!"

"I see…I believe I met Lewis Carroll once, he stuttered quite a bit - his books are full of nonsense."

"Nonsense, nonsense, what is nonsense anyway? Something better than this, I'm sure." Replied Alois loftily.

The corners of Claude's mouth twitched, as if was going to smile (as if he would smile – had Claude ever smiled? Not because of his Master, of that he was sure), "Are you sure, Master?"

Alois rested comfortably against Claude's chest, fingering his waistcoat affectionately. "Yes, I'm sure. This weather is lovely, so let us read by here, a fair resting-place, full of summer sounds and scents." (1) He gently pushed Claude's spectacles up his long nose. "Beneath such _dreamy_ weather…" (2) In response, catlike tawny eyes blinked back at him.

"Very well," Claude began, his voice was deep and heavy with an almost melodic lilt to it, and it vibrated nicely against Alois' face, so he closed his drowsy eyes...

"Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?"

"So she was considering," Claude continued, wrapping his arms a little around Alois so as to adjust the page. "In her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her…"

Alois waited in anticipation, for it was always his favorite part when Alice actually paid the White Rabbit any attention and followed it down the rabbit-hole; but when the silence continued, and Alois could only hear the sound of his own beating heart and not Claude's (but was that the sound of a ticking watch?), he opened his eyes and looked around.

There was no Claude. There was no tea or book for that matter either. Alois rubbed his eyes to clear his dizzy sleep filled vision and swiveled in his seat to look around, now panic stricken. If Claude had left him…But that was silly, Claude never left him (at least, not without a command). This didn't stop Alois from turning frantically around and around (but he daren't actually move to find his butler, for he felt as if his legs had turned to jelly and there was _still_ that odd ticking and dizziness in his head).

"Claude?" Alois called out weakly. No answer. A gust of pleasant wind came with a _whoosh_ from the thicket of pine trees surrounding the pavilion, causing his short blond locks to tumble about his round face.

"Claude?"

"CLAUDE?"

"Clau – Oh!" Alois' chair finally gave way and he tumbled head over heels, and came to stare into the face of a hairy thing with a great many tawny eyes.

"A – _Spider_?" Alois exclaimed, his vision coming back into focus. The Black Spider blinked once, behind a pair of a hundred tiny spectacles, before turning around and scuttling into the forest, with a flash of its silver _pocket-watch_.

"Wait, please!" Alois jumped to his feet, heart racing, as he followed after the Black Spider. "If this is like Alice's Wonderland, then surely there will be-"

"Aha!" Soon he came to a large spider-hole, and after the spider vanished within the hole, Alois followed, without a moment's hesitation.

The spider-hole plunged Alois into a thick darkness which was full of the smell of an odd combination of earth and spice, before he suddenly fell, straight down. It was either that like Alice's rabbit-hole, the tunnel was very long and he was falling very slowly; or it was that Alois had already hit the ground below, had already smashed to a hundred pieces and died, and still felt like he was falling, because well, because – "It must be the after-effects of dying," Alois said knowledgably (which seemed like a proper explanation of a boy who hardly attended lessons), "because, I've never died before, so how would I know?" (Indeed)…

Presently, a dull light came about Alois as he fell, and he could see that there were all sorts of curious objects tangled within the intricate weaves of the spider webs coating the walls of the tunnel. Objects such as glass tea pots, tea cups and saucers (which Alois was careful not to touch, for their contents were still steaming), and portraits of what appeared to be a burning village and blackened dead people, that Alois could have sworn felt like fire at his touch (and why did they look so familiar? Alois could not remember). There were also crumbling, household-looking books: how to make the perfect soups, preparing tea, and recipes of fancy custards like Crème Brûlées and such; when Alois reached out to touch a page of the desserts recipes, he drew back his hand with a cry of disgust, for the contents of the page had begun to ooze a sticky jelly substance, and secreted a smell of sickly sweet rotten fruit.

Then there were the cupboards, and they were all packed with black tea. Alois didn't particularly like bitter tea, especially the ones here – "NEW MOON DROP" (it always made him feel rather empty), but upon discovering that the tin was bare, he let it fall below him to hear how far away he was from landing, or perhaps to connect with the head of some passerby – he didn't care which.

Down, down, and down again. Would this fall, this _dream_, never end? Alois was beginning to get very sleepy with nothing to do but fall, and just as he thought to himself, "I wonder if I shall fall right through the –" When all of a sudden, boing! He bounced from a springy spider-web and landed on a pile of dry leaves and sticks. Alois groaned, massaging his backside. "Really," He thought. "I am in no condition for these sorts of falls…" Yet he got up and looked about and realized…That he was back in the Earl's manor…But no, that was impossible! Alois' had seen to it that everything, everything was destroyed! Yet so it was – it was the Earl Trancy's manor.

Granted, it was dustier; thick layers of dirt and grime coated the wine-red halls and most of the candle lights were now gone, and in the place of what should have been a great chandelier, there hung a glittering spider web, stuck full of dripping candles; their wax falling steadily in hot pools on the floor. This was of little relief and Alois shivered, backing away to search for a door, any door, when he noticed the Black Spider hurrying down another dark passage of the manor.

"Wait!" Alois sped after it, slipping as he did so, on the hot wax, down the narrow hall, but alas for poor Alois! He was blocked by a spider web barricading his way. Tearing it apart impatiently, Alois tried to catch up with the Black Spider but it was out of sight once more, and Alois found himself in another low corridor. This hall was thankfully lit by more candles, which floated eerily alongside Alois' as he walked about the many rows of doors lining his way.

"Why, they're all locked!" Alois cried, baking away in horror, but just then he bumped into a three-legged table made entirely of glass on which lay a miniature golden key. Alois held up the key and ran a finger along its oddly intricate woven teeth. "Perhaps this shall do the trick."

Alois tried all of the doors again, but to his mounting frustration, none of them fit. Just then, Alois came upon a beautifully woven curtain made of red spider silk, that when pulled apart like gauze, he discovered behind it a little door fifteen inches in height. "There was the Door to which I found no Key; there was the veil through which I might see..." (3) Alois recited, remembering the poem. "Ah there we go."

No sooner had he turned the lock, did the little door vanish in a puff of dust at his feet, revealing what appeared to be a magnificent garden straight ahead. Oh, how Alois longed to walk about the garden of those tall flowers, for although his garden was grand, this one appeared to be much lovelier. But as his head could only barely fit through, and Alois remembered in his cloudy mind, that if he walked back to the table as Alice had done, something good was sure to happen.

So he did. And to his astonishment (though why should he be astonished?) he found a little red colored bottle with a paper label round its neck, marked "DRINK ME" in large letters. Alois thought for a moment about the consequence of drinking from unknown medicine bottles (for this one looked nothing like the ones Claude usually forced upon him), but decided to finish off the whole bottle anyway.

Alois licked his lips, "It tastes like, cheery-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey? Toffy, and, _mmm_, buttered toast!"

"I simply must make Claude find me something like this! But what a curious feeling," said Alois, "I can't reach the table!" And so he couldn't, though he tried to put the now enormously difficult bottle back on the table. He caught a glance of himself on one of the table's legs, and discovered with great surprise that he was now just ten inches high – perfect for the garden! He shivered violently for his clothes had not shrunk with him. Though he was just the right size, he couldn't help wondering if the flowers would bother him for not being properly clothed…Suddenly he spotted a glass box that he had not noticed before, and found that inside was quite a small cake etched with the words "EAT ME", in frosting, and underneath was a simply gorgeous lacey blue dress with a little white pinafore and stockings.

As Alois held up the dress, he found to his shock, that he was still not small enough, and could still not reach the key! So he took to finishing off the cake as well.

"Curiouser and curiouser!"Cried Alois (he couldn't understand either what made him say such a thing). He was now growing at an alarming rate, and crouched in fear of crushing himself against the low ceiling and spider webs, and still he wouldn't stop! And was that him who was making that thumping noise against the walls? And why was it growing steadily louder, louder, and louder…

"_Alois_," And now someone was calling his name! Was it the Black Spider?

"N-now I'll never leave this wretched place!" Alois sobbed. And soon he began to cry…

"Alois,"

"A-and that Spider is still calling me!" Alois pounded against the walls that seemed to be slowly pressing in around him, though they felt like thick pillows…

"_Alois_,"

"Yes! I'm here! Please, _please_, HELP ME!"

* * *

"YOUR HIGHNESS,"

"Oh but that's, _Claude's voice_,"

And with that everything, the pool of tears, the dress, the cake, _everything_ vanished, and Alois Trancy was once again back in his own bed, safe beneath his heavy satin comforters and feather pillows.

"Claude,"

"Your Highness, I have prepared your tea…"

"Oh Claude, I had the most _fantastic_ dream! You weren't there, but there was this _Black Spider_ and-"

"And?"

"Nothing, it wouldn't interest you…"

"Very well, drink your tea before it grows cold, Ridgway's Majesty's Blend – it's quite soothing…"

"Pity,"

"Pity, Master?"

"That you couldn't have blended something more interesting; like, cherry tart, custard, pine apple, roast turkey, toffy, and buttered toast, all in one!"

"That would have been quite the tea, Master."

"Will there be anything for me to attend to-day?"

"Yes,"

"Well that will be _highly_ unusual,"

"It's time to dress, Master,"

"Claude! That table, the little glass one in the corner, have I _always_ had that?"

"Why yes Your Highness, I believe that was a gift from the RED ROSE,"

"Do not speak of that name!"

"My mistake master,"

"And that glass box is it too from that place?"

"Naturally,"

"Bring it here,"

_Click_

"The gold key…"

"Hmm?"

"I said, but there's nothing in here! Fill this with something sweet, Claude. Like a little cake or something, and decorate it with the words 'EAT ME', ha-ha how dirty!"

"Will that be all, Master?"

"…"

"Master?"

"Do you believe in fairy tales, Claude?"

"If there are demons, then there are fairies."

"Oh...Well, how about a Wonderland?"

"That's _impossible. _Now really master, it's time to dress..."

* * *

Then Claude was gone, and Alois just _laughed_…

Collapsing back onto his bed, face down, laughing until his sides hurt and all that he could force out were weak hiccups. Alois closed his eyes, breathing deeply. It had been a nice dream hadn't it? The cake had tasted so real, so sweet, and so had the bottle; and if only he could go back…Just to see the garden and perhaps wear the blue dress – it was so pretty.

His eyes closed but Wonderland did not come. What came was that night. When he was pinned like a butterfly to his bed, naked and sore all over, and the curtains were open with such a soothing breeze, and the Early Trancy was finally asleep…

He had called to his demon, the one with the empty face and thin lips…The one with the tawny eyes, like a spider. The windows flew open and the silhouette of a man, his shadow, vast and looming over the wine-red walls, had plunged his long tongue inside of Alois' aching mouth, without a word, gripping him close, then closer, until it had felt like a knife had etched itself across his tongue.

Then the demon had vanished and Alois had collapsed onto the cold floor, tongue pulsing, as a spider crawled from his slack mouth, scuttling over his limp body, and into the darkness.

It would be hours before Alois Trancy would awaken from his dream. If Wonderland could not be Alois' to command, then at least this, a memory, would always be his.

It was several hours before Alois had bothered to drag himself from his bed and retire to his study where he was to await for further news on this after-noon's schedule from Claude. He always looked forward to seeing Claude (his attention for once, was entirely focused on his master without a direct command), but upon arrival, Alois' wished him away almost immediately.

"Master, your Uncle Arnold will be arriving for to-day's dinner. Apparently he wishes to question you about the time when you were imprisoned. He is also bringing a priest."

"If I satisfy him with an answer, he's just going to ask for money, isn't he?"

"Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain, but your uncle, I must admit, is a special case." (4)

Alois closed his eyes once more and rested his head on his desk – what a mistake. A sickly and putrid smell filled his nostrils. The desk became a suffocating pillow; his head was smothered against it as fat wondering hands suddenly pressed everywhere… Alois' head shot up from the desk and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the horrible memories.

"They're all like that, aren't they? _All_ of them...Yes…Well in that case, let him come, but you must change our decorations, Claude. I wouldn't want my _dear_ uncle getting the wrong idea; after all, we _are_ mourning the loss of my father…"

"Yes, Your Highness,"

* * *

For Alois Trancy, the conditions of the night had never been so successful. Uncle Arnold had come, and yes with a priest and a rather fair looking man who claimed to have known the late Earl; and Alois had shown them around the tasteless mansion, complete with all those hateful decorations thanks to Claude. The fair Viscount had swooned at the old extravagance of his friend's collection of art, while his uncle stewed, his small eyes searching for any flaws, and the priest looked on timidly, glancing at Alois now and then to confirm if this was the Trancy's legitimate son – and it certainly seemed that way, didn't it? For the three men had watched as the boy's blue eyes filled with tears at even the slightest mention of his father's name, and Alois congratulated himself at this, he didn't even need to dig his fingers into his skin to cause tears anymore. Everything was going so well…

He had told him his sad story; about the village he had no recollection of, called something sinister, like, Weaver's End (and was that really it?). With its foreign shingled roofed mud houses and filthy merchant people, who kicked him and his Andrew about whenever they begged for food, not even money, and so he was forced to work as – but never mind the _what_ or the _place_, it needn't be mentioned…

It was such a very miserable story too, filled with lots of tearful pauses, quivering breaths, that even his uncle had looked unsettled, so of course he was easy prey for all sorts of humiliation.

Then Arnold Trancy had left in his stupid carriage, and Alois, beckoning to him on the terrace with his sweet voice, had forced the man to dance for all of those musty worthless pounds from a case he had told Claude to retrieve from somewhere deep in the cellars, and Alois whooped with laughter at the sight of his beloved uncle shaking his ass for money, and all had been quite fun, until…Until the storm had come…

* * *

Once the entire Trancy household had been impounded within the manor, and all was as it had been before, silent without the disruption of unusual guests, Alois rounded on Claude.

"Claude Faustus, was that not amusing?" Blue eyes electrified in the light of thunder, mixed with anger and slight humiliation at having to laugh at something so ridiculously amusing all on his own so that his actions had seemed childish, and not clever.

"Master," (a stiff incline of the head)

"When I command you to do something, _do it_."

"Yes, Your Highness, is that all?"

Alois Trancy surveyed his butler haughtily; silently challenging, no _begging_, him to betray any emotion. Claude Faustus returned the gaze, eyes a pool of sweet honey for his master. Alois felt the exciting agitation from his evening performance melt away, settling into emptiness. "Yes that's all."

"Very well," The butler turned away, receding back into the darkness of the manor's hall, a dimly lit candelabrum in his gloved hand. He could hear his master behind him, heals clicking dutifully as he sought to keep within the haze of light surrounding his butler. It was always like this. Alois trailing behind Claude as he performed his final tasks of the day; just in time before evening would succumb to darkness, reducing Alois to whimpers, pleading to be carried to his bed, away from the frightful black of the night once more...

A slight tug on his sleeve brought Claude away from extinguishing the final candle in the manor. "Carry me, Claude." Alois said, raising his arms.

"Yes, Your Highness." Claude obliged, stooping to sweep up his master in his arms.

"You're such a good butler," Alois mused, tousling Claude's hair. He then began walking his fingers up Claude's chest, stopping to press them against the pulse in his neck. "Say, why don't you and I-"

A soft rapping at the manor's door distracted both master and butler. "Now who could that be at this hour?" Alois wondered, kicking his feet in protest for Claude to let him down.

Standing outside amidst the horror of the windy storm was a man dressed in a shroud of black. A flash of lighting illuminated the heavy case he was carrying in his gloved white hand. "A storm has broken out." The man said, addressing Claude. His voice though covered by the soaking traveling cloak about his face rang out clear and deep in the night.

"Do you have some business in a night like this?" Claude reproached, appraising the man with distain.

"I was surprised by the storm. So, if could request to spend the night here..."

Alois pushed his way past Claude and bounded towards the man. "Amazing," He cried gleefully. Here was a man, a traveler no doubt, who was not one of the many stupid nobles who came calling for parties. He was a mystery, bundled up just for Alois to unwrap in the dead of night.

"What a filthy man! Just like a dark gray rat!" He continued, prodding at the man's thick cloak. "But," He stepped closer, raising himself on tip toe to sniff at the man's long black hair. "He smells good." Alois' repressed senses kicked into overdrive as he inhaled the aroma of musk and spicy, sweet licorice, and something else that seemed oddly familiar…"What's your name, stranger?" He whispered, batting his eyelashes. Ah, it had been such a very long time since Alois Trancy had had a man like this for the night…

* * *

"Master, why do you wish for our guest to sleep in a room so close to yours? I do not trust him."

"Where he sleeps is none of your concern. He is a traveler, and _my_ guest, and he is already twice as interesting as you, Claude. I like him."

"Very well, but please refrain from speaking so commonly. 'Damn tasty', is not part of the noble dictate.

_Laughter_

"As if my traveler would care! Though, perhaps if he did, it would not surprise me, he already pays so much more attention to me than you ever have."

"Master…"

"Prepare dessert, Claude, and make sure it is something _damn tasty_ for my traveler."

"To prepare pastries at such an ungodly hour…

"Ungodly is correct, Claude, there shall be _nothing_ holy about this tonight."

* * *

"Hello mister traveler, is everything, to your liking?"

Alois stood at the entrance to his traveler's room, clinging at the door so only half of his body was visible. He hoped that it appeared as if he was shy of the man, respecting his privacy and not just barging into the guest room. In truth, Alois had been waiting for minutes outside, preparing himself for this and that; smoothing his lips, fixing his hair, and sucking on a few of the candies he had stolen from the kitchens. Perfecting everything for seduction…

Alois stroked the sheen of the mahogany door before sliding in; he wrapped himself around one of the weaving poles surrounding the bed before smiling coyly down at the man sitting on the edge, his trunk close by. "Say, what it's in that trunk? Is it your change of clothes, or is it some snacks?" _Is it opium, or chloral? Is it fine silk robes or spices all the way from India? Or is it just the body of the prostitute you couldn't bear to part with from the night before?_

The traveler said nothing, though his gloved hands that were clasped in his lap twitched. Alois came to kneel beside the trunk and fingered at its locks absentmindedly. "I'm so jealous. It must be fun to travel to various places. I want to break off on a journey, too. It's so boring in this mansion." Alois blinked, surprised at the sincerity of his words. It was one thing to speak the truth, but quite another to hear the ease at which he confined in this man; the envies and impossible desires that he had harbored all on his own bubbled to the surface. "I hate this life." He whispered, meaning every word of it.

"Boring?" The man's lips curled in a smile, but Alois took no notice. "I heard that there's something interesting beneath this mansion."

"_Really_?" Alois' whole face lit up just at the prospect and laced implications behind his traveler's words.

The man nodded. "I will show you the contents of this trunk if I can take a look at it."

Alois giggled. "Alright, we can go take a look at _it_."

* * *

"Right this way, mister traveler." Alois sang out, leading the man behind him to the cellars. They walked in silence for some time, the man looming over Alois like some oversized bird; while Alois himself wondered when the traveler would be content enough with choosing a place in the cellar to have a look at _it_.

"This must be it." The man stopped, his face tilted towards a dusty shelf crammed full of decorative boxes.

"It's just black tea." Alois said, reaching up to pull the box down. He tried to keep the edge of disappointed out of his voice; though he was sure his traveler could hear it.

"New Moon Drop; I heard that tea leaves picked up in nights of the full moon have a fresh and sweet scent. But this is the opposite; by picking them up in a new moon, a scent that resembles a bottomless darkness comes up faintly. It's also called "Motion of the Soul."

The traveler reached out a hand for the box but Alois pulled back. "This is still not enough."

"Still?"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to show you." Alois murmured more to the box of tea than to the man. "But before that," He slipped the tea into his waistcoat and began loosening the ribbon around his neck. "I really need a favor, so if you could-"

"Hand over that trunk to me," Suddenly Claude appeared before them, gold silverware in hand. He thrust the knives like arrows at the man, sending his hat and cloak sailing with a flourish. "Sebastian Michaelis!"

Claude aimed another set of knives at Sebastian but the demon flung his cloak in Claude's way and snatched up the box of New Moon Drop tea.

"He's running away!"

Alois' demon, bound by contract and his own desire to reclaim the enigmatic tea, sped after Sebastian Michaelis within a flurry of gold silverware.

Alois watched in horror as the thing that could become the most precious to him was escaping. "Don't kill him! You mustn't kill him!" He shouted after Claude. "Just catch him – CLAUDE!"

* * *

Alois Trancy lay crumpled on the cold unforgiving floor of his manor. His heart raced and his head hurt from screaming orders. Only moments before Sebastian Michaelis, demon of his soon to be beloved, Ciel Phantomhive, had made his final escape. He had soared through the window's glass with Ciel's body inside his trunk and retrieved soul inside the tea-box, and had shattered the grand chandelier in the process, leaving Alois in total darkness.

"Chase after him, quickly!" His servants bowed and tore after Sebastian. What was the point? Surely Sebastian and his precious Ciel would be miles from here already…

Claude turned to follow after them but Alois lunged and entwined his arms around Claude's leg. "Not you Claude. Don't go!" He pleaded frantically. Not Claude, never Claude. If his butler left, Alois didn't know what he would do…

"But-" His butler protested

"Don't…leave me behind…" And the image of the child Alois cradling his dead Andrew swam in front of his mind. He buried his face against Claude and whimpered.

"Don't leave me alone Claude, please…"

"Master," Claude Faustus took pity on him, his master, and so he turned to kneel by Alois'. "I will always stay by your side."

Claude's gloved hands took hold of his master's petit ones; he squeezed them reassuringly as he recited the honorable code of the Trancy butler, "Day and night, sugar and salt, living and the dead, the impure and the pure…"

"Wrong!" Alois protested, tears welled up in his eyes but he made no move to brush them away. "It's as he said, I'm just a filthy kid." He, Sebastian, had called him a piece of dirty trash when Alois had finally seen inside the demon's trunk. He had said that if someone like him were to touch his younger master, he would become sullied. It made Alois weep to know how right the demon was…

"You are my master." Claude replaced the fake glasses he always wore and pushed them up the bridge of his long nose; to Alois, it was a sign of comfort and the final act of the demon becoming his butler.

"Enough with that, in the end, you also…"

Claude withdrew his hands from Alois' and brought them up slowly to cup his master's face. "I'm your loyal slave." He whispered, his face drawing closer. Their noses nearly touched and Alois could feel his butler's cold breath – he smelled of honey and cloves. Alois' cheeks erupted in a faint blush.

"You don't need to attract my attention. I want nothing, but to deeply desire my master." Claude's long fingers stroked Alois' cheeks and hair and Alois had to close his eyes. The touch and the intense gaze of the demon were simply too much…

"That's enough." Alois tiredly pushed Claude away and rubbed at his eyes. He needed sleep. He needed not to think or feel anymore.

"Everyone…"

"…Should just be engulfed in darkness."

"Master," Claude's voice was dizzying and Alois could only distinguish a few of his words as his head lolled against Claude's shoulder.

"Let me carry you to bed."

"Yes,"

Strong arms lifted him and enfolded him within a tight embrace to his butler's chest.

"Dream of sweet things, Your Highness,"

"Dream of a wonderland…"

* * *

(1) From Phaedrus, by Plato

(2) From a poem, by Lewis Carroll

(3) From a poem, by Edward Fitzgerald

(4) From The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli

**A/N: **Aaand that's it! That took a while...It was a little dull for my taste but again, it was meant to start out slow. Please let me no what you think! I am more than happy to recieve any kind of feedback! :D


	2. A Bitter Pool of Tears

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroshitsuji by Yana Toboso or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

**A/N: **Ah, forgive me - this chapter is so short! This chapter was based on the second chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the dialouges of Phaedo and The Symposium by Plato. In this case, Claude acts as Pausanis and Socrates, while Alois acts like Phaedrus and Alcibiades.

**Spoiler: **None really, but it would be advisable to at least watch the first episode of Kuroshitsuji season 2. Other than that the spoilers are gradual and if you have never watched Kuroshitsuji season 2, there will be very many surprises for you to discover along the way.

**Warning: **A pedophile demon, erotic flowers, and Alois Trancy himself

**Works used for influence: **Narcissus, The Masque of the Red Death, Doctor Faustus, The Golden Key, Phaedrus, The Prince, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Imp of the Perverse, Death in Venice, The Symposium, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, The Tell Tale Heart, Phaedo, and many poems and quotes by Edgar Allan Poe, quotes by Lord Byron, Plato, Pliny the Elder, and Edward Fitzgerald.

* * *

Chapter II

A Bitter pool of tears

And so Alois Trancy did dream of his Wonderland again, but to his utter despair he found that he was still nine feet too big to enter that lovely garden.

"What's _this_?" He cried, trembling all over from the cold, "why am I still in this shape? Is this not a dream – my _dream_? Should I not be in command of this wretched state?"

With that, he kicked out at the tiny glass table, now the size of doll furniture, and smashed it against the wall; though instead of shattering into a pile of glittering dust, the table collapsed into a pile of spider webs, at which hundreds of little black spiders scuttled out from under the heap and proceeded to race up Alois' legs.

"Yeee-ah!" Alois screeched with alarm as the prickly spiders crawled beneath his naked flesh, biting at his skin with their needle-like pincers. "Oh, get away, get away, you filthy things!" He slapped and clawed at his body, before stumbling blindly into the walls, hitting his head and slumping down in a daze. It was some time before his head cleared, but when it did - the spiders had vanished. Purple bruises had begun to blossom across his body before his very eyes. Alois let out a howl of mad rage and clutched at his throbbing skull, angry tears splashing down his chest. "Not again," He moaned, shielding his eyes from his familiar ugly bruised body. "N-not this…"

Just then Alois heard a little tapping of many legs, and tearing his fingers away from his contorted face, spotted – the Black Spider! "Wait, stop!" Alois called, reaching for the Spider. The Black Spider gave a start and scurried out of sight up the wall, dropping as it did so, a nosegay.

Alois sighed in defeat and plucked up the nosegay. There appeared to be just three flowers bunched up together: a delicate Blue Rose, a vibrant Orange Lily, and a flower he knew quite well – a Coriander.

"Dear, dear! Why, does no one listen to me here? Not that anyone does anyway…" And a great tear rolled down his cheek, and splashed upon the flowers. "I-I suppose these will be the only flowers I ever see here, won't they?"

With that Alois inhaled the fragrance of the Blue Rose (1), and was overcome with such an immense feeling of sorrow, that he sank down to his own pool of tears and began to weep yet again. "I w-wish Claude would wake me! " He wailed. But at the very mention of his dear butler's name, the poor Earl only sobbed harder and buried his face within the nosegay. He breathed into the Orange Lily (2) deeply just to calm himself, but was instantly filled with a swelling sensation; it filled him with such an immense relief he sprang from the floor, and looking down, he cried out with delight. "Why, I believe I've shrunk again!"

Without a moment to lose, Alois dashed over to the glass box and pulled out his blue dress and hastily threw it on – it was just the right size! "And now for the key," Alois had quite forgotten that in his temper he had destroyed the table and most likely the key. "Now, what will I- oh?" For Alois had just looked up and noticed – "The glass table! But I thought I destroyed you…Well, no matter," And hitching up his dress, Alois began to climb the legs of the table (which was quite easily done because it was covered in sticky spider silk) until he reached the top.

"At last," He exclaimed. "What the-" but upon snatching it from the table, he realized that all that was left was a key made of gold spider-silk which fell apart at his touch. Just as Alois was about to beat his tiny fists against the table, he remembered that the nosegay was still clutched firmly in his hand.

"Well, I'll smell this again, but it had better produce something better than being small!" Alois smelled, the white petals of the Coriander (3) now, and felt a jolt of heat electrify his whole body. He reeled in ecstasy at the familiar sensation, and with a startled – "oh!" He toppled off the table and plunged deep into the pool of tears…

* * *

"Help, Claude! I can't swim – HELP!"

"Master,"

"Claude? Clau- _OH_!" And with that Alois woke up, drenched, not in tears, but cold sweat.

"You were screaming master."

"Hah, drowning more like. Why are you here?"

"Aware of it or not, you did call for me."

"Perhaps I should have nightmares more often. Well, now that you're here, I suppose you can make yourself useful by lighting this damn place. I'm not a thing of the night who wishes to live in the shadows, _Claude_."

"Yes, Your Highness,"

"Better."

"Will that be all?"

"No! I mean, it's so stuffy in here, can't you tell me a story so I can sleep?

"Perhaps, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,"

"Oh Faustus, lay that damned book aside!" (4)

"I was under the impression that it was your favorite."

"I have grown tired of _nonsense_. Read me something else."

"Master, of all the stories I know, I can assure you none of them suit well for a comforting sleep."

"Tell me about our contract then – tell me about _souls_…"

"Very well, Master."

* * *

Claude Faustus paused; whether to add dramatic effect for his Master, or because the truth of his next carefully chosen words could prove to be much more of a hindrance than he had perceived – he wasn't sure. Claude searched Alois' earnest face, beseeching him to drop this dangerous question at once but-

Alois Trancy reached for his butler's hand and placed it upon his own chest, guiding the long fingers up to rest upon his beating heart."Claude Faustus, I _command_ you to tell me about souls." To Claude the _sense_ of his Master's pulsing heart was almost too tempting. He could _hear _the muffled and wet pulses of the organ through Alois' naked skin, as it attempted to drown out what was most important beneath all of that flesh…It beckoned to him, reassuring that to reveal might prove rewarding after all…

"Very well," he began again, begrudging Alois the simple pleasure of caressing his fingers. "Your humans have given a name to what tethers you to your earthly body – the Tripartite of the Soul, named by Plato's Socrates. This states that the soul is made up of reason; reason seeks truth and uses rationality to command the other two halves; the spirit, which aspires for honor and victory, and…"

"And?"

And now was the time to reveal the most controversial flaw of their contract…

"And the appetite, which lusts after simplistic and carnal desires. But avoid sensual passion resolutely: it is not easy to control yourself once you meddle with that sort of thing." (5)

"Not easy, you say?" Alois whispered, stretching his body up in satisfaction, his legs spreading wide… "I'm willing to see how much I can control."

It would only take sweet words to spur his master further…

"Ah, but yes my sweet one, that is exactly my point."

Alois' blue eyes flashed, his lips fighting to not pull back in a snarl. "But do not those who are lovers, who are _bonded_, fulfill their appetite? And yet is it not still good, to crave each other's bodies, because it is _love_?

"Evil is the vulgar lover who loves the body rather than the soul." Claude recited. (6)

"But you're a _demon_!" His Master protested, his chest rising higher against Claude's hand in excitement.

"To love rightly is to love what is orderly and beautiful in an educated and disciplined way. (7) As a demon, as your butler, it is my duty to fulfill this part of our contract as such; day into night, passion into calm, and wake into sleep – _that_ is the Trancy butler."

Defeat masked over Alois' face, his eyes dulled as he sank back down to the bed to submit to sleep.

"I suppose…" he said slowly, eyes cast away from Claude's. "I suppose then, that you truly are one hell of a butler – a lover of only souls…"

* * *

According to the Victorian Language of the flowers:

(1) Blue Roses represent "attaining the impossible".

(2) Orange Lilies represent "desire or passion".

(3) Corianders represent "lust".

(4) Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 69-71: Good angel to Faustus

(5) Socrates to Xenophon

(6) Pausanias, The Symposium, Plato

(7) Plato

**A/N: **This will be the last time that I will stick so closely to the plot of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for Alois' Wonderland. From here on out, there will only be slight references to Wonderland and the Looking Glass. This way Alois' time in Wonderland can be truly nightmarish. Oh, and pretty, pretty please review! I really appreciate the favorites and story alerts, but reviews motivate me to update faster, and it heightens my prospective on what my readers like and dislike about this story! It's important to me!


	3. A Cathouse

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroshitsuji by Yana Toboso or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

**A/N: **Ah, this chapter was so much fun to write even if it did take me much longer than I had intended. Alois' story, in my opinion, is becoming rather grotesque now and the line between what he is dreaming and what is real is beginning to blur. I do not reccomend reading this at night because this story tends to freak out my editors more if they read it at say, midnight! Ciel Phantomhive makes his debut here and from now on he will be present in various chapters.

**Spoiler: **None really, but it would be advisable to at least watch the first episode of Kuroshitsuji season 2. Other than that the spoilers are gradual and if you have never watched Kuroshitsuji season 2, there will be very many surprises for you to discover along the way.

**Warning: **A pedophile demon, opium, hookahs, brief oral sex, violence, attempted rape, murder, and Alois Trancy himself

**Note: **After already having a few of my beloved editors look this over I've come to realize how very confusing this chapter can be if you have never read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". As I said at the end of the previous chapter, there will be no more direct links to Alice's Wonderland and Alois'; remember, Alice's Wonderland is a confusing yet pleasant dream, Alois' Wonderland is a nightmare that is destroying his grip on reality. If you have not read Lewis Carroll's Wonderland than I highly suggest you do so or at least know what the true chapters are about before reading mine. I don't want to give Mr. Carroll a bad name because I've been told that my story is getting really scary! Of course, I am still happy to help with any questions.

**Works used for influence: **Narcissus, The Masque of the Red Death, Doctor Faustus, The Golden Key, Phaedrus, The Prince, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Imp of the Perverse, Death in Venice, The Symposium, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, The Tell Tale Heart, Phaedo, and many poems and quotes by Edgar Allan Poe, quotes by Lord Byron, Plato, Pliny the Elder, and Edward Fitzgerald.

* * *

Chapter III

A Cathouse

It was at the Trancy masquerade ball, that a maid with twin tails of long, golden hair and a glass of red wine in her delicate hand, made her way across the ballroom floor. She was a pretty thing, with her china-doll blue eyes and porcelain skin; if only the noble men courting the other ladies had taken the time to notice her beneath the garb of a servant's dress – she would have been a far greater prize. Yet, it could be said that if any of the silly nobles who flitted about like useless butterflies, had stopped to notice her at all in their flight, they would notice that something was not quite right about this girl. She was a lovely maid yes, a little clumsy perhaps, but her apologies were so sweet, and trembled with such innocence that it was easy to smile and forget her – but not her eyes. They remained strange and unfocused, as if in a trance. Those blue eyes were fogged over with such knowing and purpose that if any man had caught her just for a moment, he would understand that there was no innocence to be found in that maid. The guise of that pretty young girl could never overshadow that unmistakable look of lust in those eyes.

The maid's full lips curled in disgust at the crowd of the too many painted faces that she crossed on the dancing floor. It reminded her of another class of people who caked their skin with layers of rouge and powder to seduce the spoiled aristocrats into unwinding their corsets and suits for a night of pleasure. That had once been a job of hers too, to entertain and amuse special guests with her body; before she became a maid – it was so disgraceful. Then again, no one would ever dare question her history if they knew that she was a he and he was a noble. And so it was – Alois Trancy himself, Earl and host of this little masquerade ball.

Alois Trancy, dressed as his own maid, was currently in search of his prey – Ciel Phantomhive. He was very sure that no one would delay his plans (for who ever looked upon a maid?) to seduce the Earl, and he had his own trusted to butler to make sure that no sort of _disruptions_ would befall him, namely Sebastian Michaelis. And with his flawless plan of seduction and the absence of that demon, little Ciel, the object of all his misfortune and grief, would be his…

Just a little farther, beyond the mass of princes and pirates, and – ah, there he was, against the wall, all alone…

He acted quickly, thrusting out the drink onto Ciel's costume while he was looking elsewhere, then stepped back to admire his handy work.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he breathed.

"It's nothing. Don't mind it." Ciel waived him away with a swish of his feathered pirate tricorne. (How cute…)

"N-no it might get stained." And now he looked up, batting his long dark lashes, his lips slightly parted. Ciel blushed.

"Please follow me," he whispered, smiling sweetly.

And so Alois Trancy led Ciel Phantomhive through the halls of his spider manor; to reap the damage which had been done so very long ago…

* * *

The pile of dresses that Alois had dismissed for his costume ball had all been hastily shoved into his closet; his satin sheets carelessly smoothed, and his rose shaded curtains hastily drawn back with unflattering loose bows. Alois had acted alone, not daring to trust Hannah for the preparation of enticing his room for his Ciel Phantomhive; and so his room really did appear to be just an elegant spare for a special guest. The only care Alois had tended to in his room was the delicately scattered Sterling Roses that he had woven around his walls and frames, so that, with the rich colors of his chamber, the flowers gave off an ethereal glow that shone even more brightly than the candles. They were Ciel's favorite and Alois knew this. But it would be the little glass box that was neatly tucked away behind the glass table, which would be Alois' greatest weapon for the night…

"Please, sit," he breathed against the shell of Ciel's ear, leading him to the bed; "I will only be a moment."

Alois watched Ciel has he pretended to clean the stain. The Earl's deep blue eyes flickered around his room, his eyebrows raised in mild curiosity. Alois was also pleased to note that Ciel's chest was rising heavily now and then and his weary eyes were drooping – he was inhaling the Sterling Roses – he was falling to seduction.

Alois hummed a little in satisfaction and turned to Ciel; "I'm done,"

Ciel frowned, "Hey-"

Alois discarded the stained coat, and took Ciel's hand in his own; his fingers were so small, so delicate. He patted Ciel's ring, the same color as his exquisite azure eyes. "What a lovely blue! I wonder if the souls of the dead are in this color…"

"What," Ciel looked weary but he had not yet moved – a good sign.

Their eyes met; Alois' bore with longing into Ciel's. "It's the same color…" He reached out to stroke Ciel's soft cheeks, his expression masked sweeter by the hazy shadows. "The same color as your ring."

Ciel gaped. What are you talking about?" He faltered. Yet he still had not run away! Oh, could it be that he felt it too…

Alois could not help himself; he trailed his fingers and cupped the back of Ciel's head, massaging and pulling at his dark locks. "Could I be the same blue…If I became one with you?" He pulled Ciel close, despite his protests, and ran his hot tongue up the shell of Ciel's ear; Alois giggled.

"Enough of this, girl," Ciel stepped away from Alois and placed a hand over his ear. "Give me my coat; I will be taking my leave, now."

Alois bowed in apology; "Forgive me, Earl, my actions were indecent. Don't go; let me show you something first." His voice was breathy and he rung his hands together, feigning nervousness.

Ciel hesitated, poised ready at the door. "What is it, then?"

Alois smiled sweetly. "Close your eyes."

Ciel detected a faint _click _as his eyes fluttered closed and then the girl's soft footsteps drawing closer. Alois lifted a pastry to Ciel's full lips and pressed it close. "There,"

Ciel's eyes widened as the little sweet melted against his mouth. Then Alois sealed the distance between them, and his lips touched Ciel's. "How lovely," he murmured against Ciel's lips; the Earl opened his mouth to protest and Alois slid his tongue inside. "You taste like a tart, Ciel Phantomhive" he breathed.

Ciel drew back, looking aghast. "Alois Trancy,"

Alois giggled; "Stop pretending you didn't know, little Earl. It was never the disguise that you were seduced by, it was me. After all, we really are just the same." He tugged off the wig and shook out his golden locks. "If the dress still bothers you, I could take off that too…"

Alois pulled his dress down just a little to reveal his shoulders; and then Ciel was on him, pushing him against the wall. Alois' arms were pinned to his sides by Ciel so instead he thrust his hips a little to meet Ciel's. "Ooh, I never knew you were one to take your men rough, Earl Phantomhive."

"Trancy," Ciel hissed, "What _do_ you want with me? I will not participate in your childish games, so go find another toy."

"No,"

And now Alois was in control. He kissed Ciel, nearly suffocating him, and pushed him towards his bed. They fell, collapsing upon each other and painting for air. Ciel struggled to break from Alois' hold but he was too weak, and Alois too quick. Ciel gasped when Alois suddenly latched onto his exposed neck and began sucking and biting at it enthusiastically, but he was stopped short when a pair of thin hands wrapped around his neck and began to squeeze. Alois lurched back and acted very quickly: he unwound the ribbon around his dress and entwined it around Ciel's wrists to the bed posts, tying it in a bow.

"Oh, I do detest," Alois sang out as he tied, "everything which is not perfectly mutual." (1) Alois sat up to admire his handiwork, ignoring Ciel's protests. "You're like a present, wrapped up just for me."

Ciel stared up at Alois. "You're mad." Ciel was no longer struggling and seemed to be giving in to defeat. "But why won't he call his butler?" Alois thought; he didn't want it like this.

"But _why_ will you say that I am mad?" (2) Alois taunted. He let himself fall back against Ciel's chest and he buried his face into Ciel's neck, inhaling deeply. "Ciel, just give yourself to me, everything would be, so much lovelier that way. You belong to me…"

Ciel sighed. "Trancy, I will never be yours," but Alois was no longer listening.

"You smell, like a rose…" Alois breathed. His tongue flicked out and he lapped at the soft milky skin, earning a small moan from the Earl. "Ah," Alois sighed, "You are mine…"

Alois Trancy had never had the extensive pleasure of sleeping with many _boys_; it was always men. Men were nice, and they were experienced, which was nice too, but sometimes Alois _craved _for the opportunity to make love to a boy. Boys were soft, and innocent. With boys, Alois could entirely entwine their bodies together until they were one; and it made sex all the more wonderful, to be able to touch each other like that. Some would cry a little if it hurt too much, but then Alois would speak to them of sweet nothings and comfort and they were grateful. Boys were always curiously surprised too, at new sensations, and then they were always delighted with them, as if they had never felt anything better (which was very likely true). It was better than being praised by most men – when one was pleasing a boy…

Ciel would be like that, Alois was sure of this. He would learn to love Alois through pleasure and pain, and then he would discard the demon Sebastian Michaelis, like a useless memory. Alois could think of no greater pain than to have the one you love, stolen away.

He would win, that much was clear; because the little noises Ciel kept making as Alois continued to suck away at his skin were proof enough. It was highly amusing to Alois, to watch and listen to the boy who had such a noble pride, continue to moan and writhe underneath him with abandon. Ciel's breath hitched as Alois' tongue traced down to his collar bone, and he instinctively raised his chest to meet Alois' mouth.

"Ah, ah – Alois!" Ciel cried; an electric shock of pleasure ran through Alois' body and he shivered; Ciel had never called his name before, and now to hear him cry it like this…An animalistic feeling rose in Alois' chest to dominate and control the little Earl; to string him up in spider's silk and make him jerk like a broken puppet caught in a web. Alois sat back, twitching with fixed anticipation, to admire his prey:

Alois leaned down to Ciel, "You said my name, Ciel…How very interesting; is this what it takes for you to drop the formalities? If I crawl in bed with you I'll be your equal? What a _noble_ slut you are."

Alois slapped Ciel across the face and he let out a whimper. "Answer me, Ciel."

Ciel turned his face away from his captor, his lower lip set in resistance.

Alois scoffed, and leaning forward, latched onto Ciel's lip and bit: licking away the sweet tang of Ciel's blood, he squeezed Ciel's cheeks together and watched as the blood poured freely from his mouth; it dripped down his chin and onto his neck and into the folds of his clothes like a wet flower.

Alois snickered, fascinated by the crimson red staining Ciel's face and neck. He wiped some of the blood in Ciel's hair and caressed it gently like a lover. "Poor thing," Alois cooed. "Sticky blood can be quite unpleasant, we best get these clothes off."

The Earl groaned in response and closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the nauseating copper scent of his own blood. Alois smile was soft and reassuring, and then…And then quite suddenly he grabbed the front of Ciel's vest and pulled, ignoring the creek and straining of the bed to which Ciel's wrists were tied. "I want you to beg me to take them off," Alois said, his voice low and menacing.

"Never," Ciel panted.

"Do it," Alois hissed; he began lapping away the blood clinging to Ciel's neck, his tongue swirling and pushing against Ciel's pulse.

"A-Alois," Ciel whined, tears welled up in his pretty eyes and Alois licked away at these too; "Alois, please!"

_Yes…_

Alois Trancy pounced on Ciel Phantomhive and his limbs and fingers pressed everywhere like a spider impatient with the death of its prey. He sunk his teeth unmercifully into Ciel's sweating neck and felt Ciel's gasp shutter against his own mouth. Then his nails found purchase in the Earl's clothes and he _tore_ – with his teeth and his fingers until the elegant costume became a flurry of tattered cloth that hung in loose strips against Ciel's skin. Alois pressed his flushed and wanton body to Ciel's and buried his face in his heaving chest. Ciel's soft legs wound themselves around Alois' back and rubbed, he whimpered; "_please_" and his tied hands jerked against their bonds.

Alois' lips found Ciel's and he kissed him deeply, their tongues melting. "Will you, call your butler?" He whispered, his forehead pressed against Ciel's.

"No," Ciel moaned.

Alois' fingers crept under the ribbons around Ciel's wrists. "Will you, run?"

"_No_,"

Blue eyes searched each other for a moment, daring the other to betray any lies and then-

-Ciel was in Alois' arms and everything was a blur of sweat and mouths. Their bodies entwined and fought to press even closer and Alois' heart sang and burst against Ciel's chest because they were almost one now and the boy would be his and not his servant's and _oh_-

-Ciel was kissing him back. It was wonderful to feel those hot little lips on his face like a butterflies', touching everywhere at once and it felt like fire to his skin. Ciel's delicate fingers curled into Alois' locks and tugged and he gasped but it wasn't from the pain, _no_ – to Alois it felt like an elegant comb was being brushed through his hair, preparing him for bed, the way he had always hoped a lover would after love making but never had, and Alois sobbed and went limp in Ciel's arms…

But the Earl Phantomhive wouldn't have this; if Alois had wanted to own him so badly then Ciel would comply with that illusion, if only just for a little while. One of his knees slid underneath Alois' dress and pushed against his clothed erection, and in all of the heat and the haze he watched as Alois' pale blue eyes burst open in a shock that rippled through his whole body.

"A-ah, _Ciel_," Alois grabbed Ciel's arms and wrapped them around his neck and pushed his hips back into Ciel's. The dress was thin enough that it caused pleasant friction as Alois thrust effortlessly against Ciel. The Earl's eyes closed and he moaned, bucking his hips into Alois. A feral sound ripped through Alois and he growled, controlling himself not to break Ciel too soon; he pulled Ciel into another searing kiss, and Ciel moaned sweetly. Alois swallowed this whole and let it burn through his body which was already twitching with restrained lust.

"Ah, I see," Alois breathed hotly as he continued to thrust. "You won't call your – _ah_, butler because then all of this will end. You wish it were him, b-but you're desperate."

Ciel groaned in response and tried to silence Alois with another kiss but cruelty was getting the best of Alois. "You're _weak_, Phantomhive." He leered; his grin was crooked and full of malice.

Alois was once more a blur across Ciel's vision and then his arms were jerked backward and his wrists were tied again to the bed with the ribbon. "W-what are you doing?" Ciel hissed.

His voice faltered as Alois' face loomed over him. It was terrifying and full of the Trancy insanity that often overcame even the sweetest of his moments. "I have something for you, Ciel," He giggled breathily. He held out the little glass box of tarts. "Would you like one?" His eyes pulsed with electricity; Ciel shivered.

Alois opened the box and delicately plucked out a beautifully decorated sweet which topped with cream and blueberries. He placed it to Ciel's trembling lips. "Tell me what it says."

"Kiss me," Ciel murmured.

"Very well," Alois did kiss him; slowly at first, so as to let the sweet melt between their lips, and then when their mouths were molded together, Alois slid his tongue inside to taste the tart. His hot little tongue glided over Ciel's teeth and up to the roof of his mouth before it knotted around Ciel's tongue, forcing it into his own mouth. The breath between them was heavy and sickly sweet as they sucked it into their lungs, and just when Ciel felt like he was about to pass out from the lack of air, Alois pulled back smacking his lips in satisfaction. "You taste like a sin," he purred.

Swooning a little, Alois reached inside the box and held out another tart which was full of raspberries and lemon meringue for Ciel. "What does this one say?"

"D-drink me,"

"Ah, what a curious choice of words," Alois laughed. He nuzzled down to Ciel's chest and listened to his heartbeat which sounded dull with defeat in Alois' ear. "Come, we can't have that," Alois purred. "I want your heart to rip through your body from the pleasure I give you." He began running his tongue along Ciel's lips, then along his jaw (he felt the muscles in Ciel's jaw twitching from anticipation), and then down to his neck, where he began licking and biting at his pulse. His mouth expertly sucked at Ciel's flesh before he bit; drawing forth pricks of fresh blood that he lapped away greedily. Noises of wet slurping and lust filled moans swelled in the room and rang in Ciel's ears; his body ached with longing and he desperately wished that Alois' mouth would travel lower...

"AH!"

Ciel shrieked with delight as Alois latched onto one of his nipples and was suckling it enthusiastically as it hardened in his mouth. Ciel's chest rose and he pushed it further into the hot cavern of Alois' mouth and a sigh bubbled from his lips. Alois began swirling his tongue around the unattended bud but Ciel's body was jerking so violently that he had to stop to let Ciel catch his breath. "Naughty Ciel," he panted. "You haven't even eaten your third tart yet and you're already so greedy."

Alois dipped lower and he plunged his tongue into Ciel's navel suggestively. Ciel wailed and buried his face in his hands but Alois was quick to pry them away. "No Phantomhive," Alois hissed. "In exchange of your pleasure I want to hear every sinful sound that escapes your lips."

He hovered over the Earl, surveying his prey: Ciel was a mess. His dark locks clung to his sweating forehead and his eyes were lidded with desire – the contracted eye was pulsing faintly. His chest was rising and falling sporadically and it glistened with sweat and patches of dried blood. Ciel's mouth was swollen from kissing like a red rose and it was in the shape of a small "_o_" the way in which it was sucking in little gasps of air. His entire body was flushed and it made Alois crazed with lust just to look at him. His eyes raked down Ciel's lithe body before they settled between his legs…

"Here's your last sweet," He breathed; he pressed it to Ciel's lips. This tart was entirely red with jam and strawberries. (3) "What does it say?"

Ciel gasped.

"What was that?"

"E-eat me…"

"If you insist,"

"N-no, wait!" Ciel cried; his eyes were wide and beseeching.

Alois stopped; he was impatient but curios too as to what the little Earl could possibly want at a time like this. "Yes?

"B-before we continue any further, I-I want to know why…"

"Why?"

"Why we're so alike. I want to know more about you, Alois." He whispered his eyes downcast. "I've heard rumors about you, Alois, and I want to know if they are true."

Alois smiled; "Ah, I see…Very well little Ciel Phantomhive, I will tell you, how like you, I became Earl at so very a young age. I will tell you how I_ killed_ my father…"

* * *

"It was here in this very Manor that at a night much like tonight, a masquerade ball was being held. I was young, no more than twelve years old I believe, and I was _bored_. Parties will enervate you like this; they are frivolous and petty; an exhausting means for the host to flaunt their wealth, brandishing it under the noses of their subjects, enticing them with treats of food and drink like pigs – much like my father.

"But masquerades are special. They are a trick of fashion, a guise for the imperative character. A fine gentleman of great pomp and circumstance can simply fix a mask to his handsome face and instantly he transforms from a figure of influence by the crowd who admires him, to a _no-man_. Within the confines of the security of the masque halls, he is free to explore every perverse desire in the darkest folds of his heart that he has been forced to conceal from prying eyes, now at a mere _impulse_.

"So I was not by any means bored with the circumstance of the party itself – no, I was bored with _impatience_. My heart, which was concealed beneath the layers of my own grand costume, expanded within my chest, crushing it and leaving me short of breath, every time I heard the pendulum of the gigantic clock of ebony swing itself back and forth, back and forth... At every exact hour that the minute hand instructed, there came forth a note that struck silence around the celebration. The musicians ceased their play and the waltzers paused in step of their dance, to harken to the musical sound which paled their faces so. This passed for an entire minute before the clanging ceased and a ripple of relief swept through the still crowd; they laughed and shook their heads at the notion of a clock captivating their emotions and resumed their merriment; all that remained of the clock's effect was the quivering chandelier above…(4)

"As the masquerade ball resumed so too did my heart and my anticipation. I entertained the guests for my father while he was off in the secrecy of his halls, preying on some poor boy. You see why I hated my father; when I was brought back to him I had no memory of our family or a happy infancy. My father had lost himself in his old years, clouding his mind with gluttony and lust. So was I, a young boy who had been kidnapped and forced to live among the filthy commoners, supposed to love this senile, mad-man? The only purpose the Earl Trancy saw useful in me was to use my fine looks to seduce the other men who vied for his attention whilst he was off feasting on children.

"The men I did not of course mind. My charms rewarded me with many a beautiful man who came crawling to my bed – Pleasure I was willing to give and take when _I_ wanted, but to be used like a _prostitute_? So I killed my father, yes; but, I suppose you think the murder was all on impulse, don't you, Ciel?

"It's impossible that any deed could have been wrought with a more thorough deliberation. For weeks, for months, I pondered upon the means of the murder. I rejected a thousand schemes, because their accomplishment involved a _chance_ of detection. (5) I knew that at the stroke of midnight my father would retire to bed with a few boys. At this time, it was my job to distract a few of my own to keep Mr. Trancy's little secret at bay, so when the grand clock began its eerie chime and everyone was in a daze, I found _him_. He was very pretty, just like you, Ciel; fair skin like a sterling rose, and hair as soft and as black as a raven's feather. Only your eyes are lovelier, his were just…brown.

"He was alone among the waltzers, just a wallflower in a sea of feathers and glitter, but I seduced him. I wooed him with sweet nothings and led him through our halls to the chamber shrouded in black velvet tapestries with the scarlet paned windows. He was frightened; the candelabras that peaked through the stained glass, cast ghostly shadows on the velvet pools of curtains, but I kissed him and told him it was beautiful. We made love till my father came. He scolded me; I was not supposed to bring guests to these chambers, and so he took the boy for himself as punishment – _hah_.

"I had, after seducing the boy, procured a hand crafted candle that when lit, would secrete such a delicious and overwhelming perfume, that the user would fall victim to a raging lust before their lungs were slowly consumed by the aroma. (6) My father noticed the candle after catching me, and though it remained unlit, he was controlled by his greed and took it. Ah, but it was a shame that the boy had to die too; he was so pretty Ciel, you would have liked him. The next morning my father and four other boys were discovered dead in his bed, and the coroner's verdict was – "'Death by visitation of God.'" (7)

"But God had no part in that death and neither of course, did I...

* * *

Alois took something from the inside of his dress and held it up to Ciel: it was the poisoned candle from the story. "Look Ciel, recognize this? I was thinking, perhaps we can light it to…stimulate the mood a bit. It wouldn't be for very long of course, not enough to kill us. But, just enough to drown us in the throes of ecstasy…"

Ciel knocked the candle away from Alois' hand. "You're mad, Trancy."

Alois watched the candle as it rolled away until it was out of sight. He turned to Ciel, there was an evil, taunting grin plastered across his face. "No, I'd like to think that I'm just more _audacious_ than other; passionate, if you will – I always get what I want."

"That's because you're a brat." Ciel hissed.

Alois pounced on Ciel, locking his hands around the Earl's slim writs and digging his nails into the soft skin. He brought those arms behind Ciel's head and pulled till Ciel let out a cry of pain. "I think you're the brat, Phantomhive. Always taunting me with that face and body of yours, always, always, and always! And after what your demon did…" Alois brought up his knee to press underneath Ciel's rib cage. He could feel Ciel's chest trying to expand beneath him like a dying bird. It only gave Alois pleasure.

"Y-you're a monster!" Ciel gasped. "What did Sebastian ever do to you?"

Yes, I like that, Alois thought, pressing harder his knee digging against bone, scream for me, my pretty Ciel.

Alois slapped Ciel's face. "Liar, you know, and so you know that I deserve to have you, not him! Now. Hold. Still!"

"NO!" With his remaining strength, Ciel tore away from Alois' grip and kicked out, connecting directly with Alois' mouth. Not bothering to grab his clothes, Ciel Phantomhive fled past Alois and out of his bedroom.

Alois got to his feet, panting. He wiped away a trickle of blood from his split lip; "Ah, so this is all just a game to you, Phantomhive? Alright, I am willing – to play…"

* * *

Down, down, down again; Ciel weaved this way and that, in and out of corridors, Alois Trancy close at his heels. Then a sickly sweet sensation as well as darkness, overpowered both their senses – _at last_.

Alois tiptoed slowly down the banister to the Cellars. He saw Ciel there, crouched against the sea of shelves and clutching his head. It seemed the memories of that night were returning to him without mercy.

"Ah, Phantomhive, fancy meeting you here," Alois taunted; he tapped his fingers against the banister, all the way down the stairs, till he came to where Ciel was. With the tip of his shoe, he raised Ciel's chin. The Earl's pained deep blue eyes met with Alois' which were icy with indifference. His eyes closed again and his head lolled against Alois' foot.

"What's wrong, Ciel, unpleasant memories?" Alois guided the tip of his foot up to Ciel's neck; he pushed. "I asked you a question."

"Ugh! Sebas-"

Alois lunged forward and silenced Ciel from calling out to his butler with a harsh kiss. "No," he hissed. "No, you are mine now, leave that wretched demon be."

Ciel's screams were muffled but _still_ they continued – why was this going so _wrong_? Alois bit down on Ciel's lower lip, the metallic taste of blood oozed into open mouth.

"SEBASTIA-"

"No," Alois moaned, pushing his forehead against Ciel's sweating brow as he continued to bite at his lips and jaw. "Why him, Ciel? Why that demon? I-I could give you so much more than he ever could. He will take your soul and leave you with nothing, nothing, and nothing!"

Ciel struggled again and bit back at Alois' lips, drawing blood.

Alois reeled back, tasting pain. He was lost in a frenzy of anger and confusion, and love and hatred for the boy who had already stolen so much from him – Ciel Phantomhive.

Alois wailed, "WHY MUST YOU FORCE ME TO HURT YOU?" He began clawing at Ciel's skin; it came away like gauze in his sharpened fingernails. Ciel screams reverberated around the cellar's walls, as the cans of black tea crashed about them. He shook Ciel back and forth.

Everything was spiraling from his control. The beautiful boy in his fingers was not so beautiful anymore, his skin bloodied and ragged, his glowing eye pulsing from pain; and still Alois tore, bit, scratched, kissed, and licked, his emotions fluctuating up and down, up and down…

The heat of blood filled his senses – nauseating him, as his own vision pulsed red. He reeled back and an unconscious Ciel swam before his eyes, a bit of blood gurgled down his slack jaw. "Oh Ciel," he cried, terror rising in his lungs, "Look at what you've made me done!" Then he too, succumbed to darkness…

* * *

Alois Trancy sank beneath the sea of Ciel Phantomhive's blood. He opened his mouth to scream but his lungs were consumed with a thick wave of the nauseatingly sweet blood; to Alois it tasted like a rotten, sticky cake was being forced down his throat. He choked, and the blood plunged him deeper…

Ciel Phantomhive had bested him yet again with his noble blood.

* * *

Dawn warmed the back of the boy in the tattered clothes, who lay still on the shore, nudging him to wake. Alois Trancy refused; he would not be forced to wake by his butler at such an ungodly mourning's hour after the repercussion of last night's little costume party.

But when a particularly fast rush of icy water drove him all the way to the grassy bank, he awoke, dazed and spluttering, to the sight of the sea. Alois had never been to the sea; though he had been told rather dazzling tales about it by the too many men who had hoped to impress him.

However Alois did not realize that the Manor to which he was confined, was taking such a dragging toll on him that he hardly knew what to do with himself in all the open air. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, inhaling the salt, and stared sleepily at the glittering ocean; with the reflection of the sun it was as blue as Ciel Phantomhive's eyes…

_Ciel Phantomhive…_

"CIEL PHANTOMHIVE!" At once, Alois sprang to his feet, and began searching for the body. He remembered, as he dug through the cool sand, his hands aching, that he had seduced the Earl, but Ciel had struggled and Alois did not like that, so he had torn him to pieces…

"Oh Ciel, Ciel – CIEL," Alois sobbed. He had never meant to hurt that lovely boy; to claw at his beautiful face like that! But Ciel Phantomhive was no more. Alois wailed in despair and buried his fingers further into the sand, but there was something very wrong. Alois could see through his blurry tears that as he dug, the sand that he cast aside simply threw itself back in place!

Alois hurled the sand away but again it leapt back in place. So the whole world really was bent on never giving him his Ciel Phantomhive…This lasted for quite some time, before Alois patted the ground in frustration, but to his surprise – it sank. He pushed a little more until he let out a gasp – "oh!" and there was the glass box, buried right in the middle of the sand. Alois opened the box, and out came his…blue dress…

So this was a dream. Then perhaps Ciel was not….?

"Well there's no use thinking about it now," He advised himself wearily. He stripped off his tattered disguise (which was curiously dry) and cast it into the sea. The sea…Alois supposed that this really was a dream after all, since there was no pool of blood, "but then had his blood been a nightmare too?" Alois fretted about this for a moment but he was determined to go on exploring. If this was his wonderland, something _interesting_ was bound to happen sooner or later. Perhaps he would even meet Ciel here, and he would never even know of all the horrid things Alois had done to him, because this was a dream.

But Alois was tired, and after stumbling about what seemed to be an endless plain of sea and grass (the terrain just simply remained the same wherever he went – it was like walking in place!), he wished to sleep. There was a Lime Blossom Tree just a little ways off, and as Alois came closer, the sweet white blossoms (8) flowering the tree, trembled in the wind and greeted him with a pleasant sigh. It was so tempting…

Alois rested his back against the trunk and closed his eyes, preparing for sleep to take him. "It won't hurt, you know," he mumbled to himself, "If I close my eyes for just a bit. It's not as if…These nightmares could get any worse…"

* * *

"Why little boy, what _are _you doing here?"

Alois opened his eyes at once, and to his alarm saw a woman _gliding _towards him. It was quite rude enough to be asked such an impertinent question, by a woman. But no, this wasn't a woman! She was a doll, dressed like his whore of a maid; but she should have been led by _strings_, for her figure was like that of an empty cloth doll. She grabbed him by the hem of his dress and shook him roughly with her fraying clothed arms.

Alois slapped her arms away; "enough, woman, I am not your little boy, how _dare_ you touch me!"

"Oh but you _must be_, the dogs miss you so!" The ragdoll cried, not at all deterred by Alois' refusal.

Alois now pushed her roughly away; "Dogs? What nonsense; this is why women should neither be seen nor heard."

The maid let out a tinkling little laugh. She spread her mouth wide till her stiches began to snap, and out popped an enormous vile. The bottle was so large that Alois' supposed that this was what was supporting her form; for as soon as the thing was out, the ragdoll crumpled completely like a cloth. The maid slithered her way up Alois' legs and brandished the vile in her feeble arm, singling all the while:–

"_Little boys who play with their toys,_

_Little kittens who tease the smitten,_

_Surely will not please the dogs;_

_So we the maids_

_Must be their cades,_

_And send them off to bed."_

Then there was a chorus in which the Lime Blossoms joined:–

"_Bow wow, wow!" (9)_

It wasn't a nice song, and the rhythm was atrocious, for it only made Alois struggle harder; but somewhere in the fight between Alois and the Ragdoll Maid, the blossoms had flown from their perches in the tree and began pelting Alois with their petals. This wasn't so much as painful for Alois (after all the blossoms, were as heavy as feathers) as it was annoying. But when the blossoms began sticking themselves to his face, he lost sight of the slithering ragdoll until he felt a warm liquid rush through his lips, and a singsong voice cry: "_there we go_!"

Before Alois Trancy's mind went low, he was able to make out the end of the song:–

"_Little boys in dresses,_

_Who refuse their men's caresses,_

_Will never be hedonic_

_If they forget to take their tonic;_

_So we the maids must be their slaves,_

_And prepare them to be laid…" (10)_

* * *

The tonic most assuredly, had been some sort of sugary aphrodisiac. Alois Trancy was panting and shivering in the arms of the Ragdoll Maid as she carried him through a winding dark hall. She pinched Alois as she held him, and shook him now and then like a fussy baby, and Alois would whimper in confusion from the pain mixing with the drugs (which was very understandable, as pinching was a characteristic found in nannies, not maids), but his mind was still slipping.

If this was a punishment for committing sin against an Earl, Alois whished it to end; it wasn't nice to be brought back to this state, and neither was it very pleasant, having molasses running through his veins where blood ought to be; or the feel of his organs twisting and slithering up his throat, choking him. Alois saw stars and tarts as his heart made a leap for his slack mouth, and he gasped – "oh," and the maid, tittering, pinched him again good naturedly. Alois writhed in frustration as his mind momentarily slid back in place.

"I command that you put me down at once, woman." Alois slurred. He heard dogs barking in the distance as they continued to glide through the halls, and they sounded quite mad.

The ragdoll began to hum her song again in time to the echoing howls, so that combined with the sharp barks and the soft voice of the doll, it sounded like the words Alois had heard before:

"_Little boys in dresses,_

_Who refuse their men's caresses,_

"Put me down, put me down!" (These were Alois' protests; he had had just about enough of this nightmare.)

_Will never be-_

"-Put me down, oh god put me-"

_-Hedonic, if they refuse to take their tonic,_

"-down!"

_So we the maids must be their slaves,_

"OH GOD, PLEASE!"

_And prepare them to be laid._"

"PUT ME DOWN, NOOOW!"

* * *

Poor Alois Trancy lay quiet on a bed of stray feathers and old wine, quite forgetting how he had even managed to wind up there at all. "Oh, it must have been – that whore of a maid!" Alois coughed. "She gave me something odd to drink!-" And he wretched again in a pool of a white sticky substance between his bare legs. "What…What happened to my dress?" Alois looked about, suddenly noticing how very little clothes he had on.

"Mind the sick!" A voice barked, directly in Alois' head (this is a very curious concept to describe, and Alois had a great deal of trouble trying to explain all of this to Claude later on).

"The sick…" Alois looked up into the face of an extraordinarily hairy man. His teeth were bared and pointed in manor that suggested that he_ would_ give Alois a good scare if it came to that, but that he was still rather more concerned with the condition of his _toy_ than anything else. The man whined a little and pushed Alois' legs further apart to inspect if his plaything was damaged anywhere else. Alois lay still, waiting for the man to finish pawing at him. He eyes fluttered open and then closed in rhythm to the touch of the man's hand. His sharp nails pricked at Alois' soft inner thighs now and then; this was a dream – this was just another job, this was just a dream – it was a job too, it was a nightmare…

But it must have been a trick of the light, for although his head had nearly stopped spinning, Alois couldn't make out the face of the man at all; every which way he turned and squinted, the man's face was still blurred like a smudge on a two way looking-glass. It was frightening. Alois knew that even the most feral of his men were still human because he could still understand the expressions in their faces, and the emotion in their eyes; it reassured him that yes, those men did have souls, tainted and filthy as they were, they were there, and he was safe.

Here Alois was not safe, but he had his pride – because this man, he was like a dog! And Alois hated dogs.

The Dog-man bent lower till his breath fell like sweat on Alois' cock. He moaned and bucked his hips against the man's snout. Alois liked to think that all of this sudden pleasure was due to the aphrodisiac; but, it had been such a very long time since he had had sex, that Alois wasn't sure – he didn't care. Alois wrapped his smooth legs around its neck as the Dog-man engulfed him in the hot cavern of its mouth. He tugged at its hairy locks encouragingly and moaned again, closing his eyes. It didn't matter that he couldn't see this man – this thing; all that was important was that this was sex and Alois didn't have to do any of the work. He didn't feel like a whore, he felt like royalty. It was true then, what they said about dogs; that they would give, and give to their masters, until the day they died...

Then Alois remembered that he already had a servant who would give and give to his master until the day _he_ died. Alois suddenly felt very guilty – he wished this dream to end. "But one can never kick a dog into obedience like a servant," Alois thought. "One must _make _them want obedience." Alois knew just what to do:

"Stupid mutts," (Alois tried not to let his breath hitch but it was very hard with that incredibly long tongue) "deserve to sleep on the floor, n-nowhere near the beds of their precious w-whores." Alois sang out, trying his best to sound sweet. The Dog-Man didn't stop but cocked his head to one side. "T-time's – _uh_, up, g-go find another treat," Alois commanded, pointing to the door.

"But you are my treat…" The Dog-Man whined, sending lovely vibrations up Alois' swollen length that felt like needles on account of all the sharp teeth. Alois squirmed and nearly spilled over into the Dog-man's mouth, but he wasn't just about to give this mutt _that_ sort of satisfaction, thank you very much. There was only one man who would ever be rewarded with that sort of special pleasure now.

Alois pulled himself out of the Dog-man's mouth, and scooted to the far end of the bed. "Not anymore, now be a dear and fetch me my dress." Alois reached up to pat the Dog-Man's head that had followed him in bewilderment and longing, but-

"OH, YOU FILTHY MONGREL, YOU BIT ME!"

* * *

And like that, Alois and his dress were falling through the floor boards of the Cathouse.

Alois Trancy fled through the halls of the Cathouse; he dogged the broken bottles of wine that splashed on his dress and the dishes that were hurled at him from the opening doors as he ran. He was sure that the house couldn't go on forever, and as the air was becoming less thick with smoke and the floor less caked with grime, Alois knew he was close to escaping.

Alas, Alois' Wonderland wasn't known for being kind; and since the little blue dress and pinafore never came with any shoes, Alois was without his dashing high heeled boots and only his stockings, and he found himself slipping and sliding all over the Cathouse floor, until – _whoosh_!

He skittered right onto the tail of some hanging draperies and went sailing through the air – only to land right into a pile of, _dogs_. And Alois was lost in the heap of fluff, fur, and too many mouths and cold noses; all of which were emitting sharp barks of excitement upon finding a new toy. "Well these-_ugh_, things seem to be just ordinary dogs, not _dog-men_," Alois thought as he struggled to push away a hundred of wet snouts and teeth that kept diving under his dress. "If I can train a dog-man to behave, then I bet it won't be much harder to train a pack of mutts."

Alois stamped his foot for attention: "Alright you lot, if I can train men to come when I call, then you dogs won't be a problem, so sit!" The dogs sat, waging their tails patiently; Alois was ready to cry from relief at the profusion of obedience. He clapped his hands together in encouragement: "Good! Now might any of you tell me where I can find an exit? My shift appears to over, and I do rather wish to attend to some important business that I…" Alois' voice faltered. The content faces of the panting dogs vanished, their tails ceased to wag. A low sound of growls rippled through Alois' audience of hounding beasts.

The dogs leaped upon him again; only this time a hundred mouths latched on to the hem of his dress and began pulling him towards a stage that Alois had not noticed before. "Stop that! Oh stop that this instance!" Alois shrieked, digging his nails into the floor boards. Blood was beginning to well up underneath his fingers and it stained the floor in streaks like paint. Alois screamed and kicked, sending a hundred dogs flying.

Suddenly there was a lot of shouting over the barking and Alois was grabbed by a thousand pair of _hands_. These hands all most certainly belonged to men; they snaked around his middle and squeezed with their fingers, choking him. They carried him to the ever looming stage and threw him upon it. Alois clutched his head and began to shake with sobs; he tried to crawl behind one of the violently red curtains but a dish whizzed past his face and he ducked. He couldn't see past his tears and he couldn't think – his dream was spinning too fast. Stumbling, Alois got to his feet and looked past the stage, the cathouse was in chaos:

Alois saw more fancily dressed Dog-men clad in red suits and top hats. Some of them were seated around tables covered with piles of meat and bones, and chipped glasses of spilt wine. In their laps were – cats. No, they were boys. Alois could not tell. The Cat-boys were all very young, and though Alois was unable to make out their faces, he was sure that they were all masks of feigned pleasure or grief; it wasn't hard to imagine, it was more of a memory – one that Alois wished to forget.

They hissed as their little cat ears were stroked or pulled by the Dog-men whose long tails thumped with delight. Others were tugging more cat-boys by the tails into the dark halls or up the rickety stairs to the rooms beyond. A few were even attempting to devour their boys right there in the performance hall, and Alois had to cover his ears at the random emits of horrific yowls. There were more Rag-doll maids too, and they were all bustling around in their poorly stitched outfits, and clumsily passing out dishes of food and drink to the Dog-men, or else shoving bottles of aphrodisiac down the throats of some of the more stubborn Cat-boys.

But all eyes were on Alois as he stood on the stage. For a moment there was silence, but then a chorus of barks, yowls, and song broke out:

"_Sing for us! Dance for us! Act for us! Strip for us!_"

"No!" Alois cried, stamping foot, and acting much braver than he really felt. "I am not your whore, you cannot control me!"

The requests only grew louder:

"_SING FOR US! DANCE FOR US! ACT FOR US! STRIP FOR US!"_

And as the Cat-boys hissed for the attention to be diverted from them, and the Dog-men howled for a performance, they really began turning into cats and dogs! Alois shrieked and fell backwards, as the ferocious looking dogs of all shape and size began bouncing in their seats for their treat and the cats began spitting angrily and swiping at the dogs' snouts, their fur standing on end. They really all looked quite mad.

"STRIP FOR US – NOW!"

"I-I will not!" Alois squeaked covering his face as the growls and cries became more strangled and deranged.

Then to his horror, the maids promptly began handing out glass dishes to the audience to which the dogs snapped up in their foaming jaws and began hurling them at Alois. Broken glass shattered everywhere as Alois danced around the stage to avoid being cut to pieces. But the dishes were coming faster and faster at Alois who barely had time to move before he was hit squarely in the face by a saucer.

In a daze, Alois fell back and could do nothing but curl into a little ball as the dishes continued to rain down upon him. "C-claude," Alois wept. "Save me! Save me from this madness!"

* * *

Claude Faustus descended the stairs to the cellars of the Trancy manor; he was in search of his master, who had not been seen for quite some time since he had last given the order to guard the Michaelis demon. He had said, that it was of the utmost importance to keep Ciel Phantomhive's butler at bay so that there would be no interruptions whilst he was seducing the boy. Of course, Claude had tried his very best to follow those trivial orders, but at one time or another, Sebastian Michaelis had escaped just like the meaningless prey of a spider, and Claude Faustus had grown tired of his master's games.

The butler neatly plucked away a frayed spider's web from his path and carefully set the tired looking spider on his shoulder for safe keeping. The corners of his thin mouth twitched a little at the sight before him:

Alois Trancy lay crumpled against one of the darker shelves lining the cellar walls; spilt bottles of wine and spice littered the ground around him in heaps of broken glass, which, marred with the pools of blood that were trickling from various slashes on his master's body, resembled something like glittering jewels. The master did not appear to be either asleep or awake. Judging from the curious and intricately painted, discarded object that was steadily puffing wisps of smoke into the air (Claude recognized it from his travels to India), and Alois' flushed face and slack mouth, his master was quite smashed…

The intoxicated Alois lifted himself up a bit and let out a dry slurring noise: "Claude, you came, I'm so happy..."

* * *

Claude Faustus appraised his master with a look of contempt. Alois' pretty blue eyes were glassy and unfocused, and his heavy lashes were creating such dark shadows underneath his eyes that he appeared to be on the verge of death.

"Master," Claude sighed; he pushed away the glass with his polished black shoes, and knelt besides Alois. "What are you smoking?"

"Don't know – the pretty Indian prince gave it to me; called it a _hookah_, hah, what a funny name!" (11)

Claude Faustus tipped his master's chip up delicately with his gloved fingers and leaned in to smell, their noses almost touching; "I smell opium…"

"Oooh is that what's in here? Claude, you should try some, it feels wonderful." Alois giggled and reeled backward again into the shelves, the remaining stored objects shook, threatening to fall.

The golden eyes behind Claude's glasses flashed. "Forgive me master, but I highly doubt Prince Soma gave this to you."

"He did," Alois insisted, gripping on to the front of Claude's suit. "All it took was a little – seduction; just one kiss and I was his," Alois breathed the sickly sweet smell of opium against his butler's lips. "I could be yours too, Claude..."

"Master…"

"Claude…"

"Enough of these games, Your Highness, Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis have already gone; let us too depart from this place."

"This place; this place is neither here nor there, Claude. I think these dreams are becoming more real than here. I am so tired, but the dreams, this time I was being ravished by dogs till you came – I do not wish to sleep!"

"What dreams, Your Highness?"

"My dreams – of Wonderland…"

Claude Faustus laid a gentle hand on Alois' cheek and closed his master's eyes. "Sleep, the dreams will not come, I promise."

"You lie," Alois moaned.

"I never lie," Claude murmured, extracting a little vile from his waistcoat and lifting it to Alois' parted lips. "Illusions will never befall you whilst I'm here, Your Highness."

* * *

(1) Quote by Lord Byron

(2) Direct quote from the "Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

(3) The "Eat Me" Tart is the only one with any real symbolism since it is covered in strawberries which represent sensuality and sexual pleasure. Towards the end of "Death in Venice" Aschenbach buys some over-ripe strawberries after losing sight of Tadzio.

(4) This is not giving anything away, but I just want to make it clear that Alois' story is almost entirely made up. I intended to make the masquerade scene exactly like "The Masque of the Red Death" because Alois has read it and he knows that like any educated noble, Ciel has too. So basically his story is a giant "F-You" to Ciel because Alois doesn't want to tell him what really happened. I call this an elegant form of verbal sparring.

(5) Direct quote from the "Imp of the Perverse" by Edgar Allan Poe

(6) In the "Imp of the Perverse" the narrator read a French memoir about a nearly fatal illness to a woman who was accidentally poisoned by her candle. Alois read about this too since Poe's works were popular in England, but he spiced it up a bit by adding ecstacy to the candle

(7)Direct quote from the "Imp of the Perverse" by Edgar Allan Poe

(8) Lime Blossoms represent fornication

(9) The cook and the Duchess' baby sing a similar line to this in the "Pig and Pepper" chapter of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

(10) This is NOT a real poem/song - I wrote it!

(11) Alois does not know if Prince Soma gave him a hookah. He might have, or he might have just stole it from him while he was in the maid dress. The opium inside of the hookah probably came from Lau however, since most hookahs are filled with narghile or shisha (tobacco). It is highly possible that Alois prepared himself in the dress to seduce Ciel but caught sight of the pretty and exotic looking prince at the masquerade ball and persuaded him into giving him a hookah full of opium which was generously supplied by Lau. Alois then wandered down to the cellars to smoke, quite forgetting his mission, and was later found by Claude. Then again, none of this could be true, even I do not know.

The Effects of Opium: Smoking opium through say, a hookah, works faster because the opiate chemicals pass into lungs where they are quickly absorbed by blood vessels and then sent on to the brain. The user experiences a rush of pleasure followed by an extended period of relaxation, freedom from anxiety, and the relief of physcial pain. Opium produces a higher state of pleasure than the body can produce on its own. The effects of opium can include hallucinations, uncontrolable coughing, and a dry mouth. A dose of opium can last for about four hours. All of this explains Alois behavior from the time when he was pleasuring Ciel to his dream of Wonderland, which for the first time included a desperate need for sex.

Fun Fact: A "Cathouse" is another name for a brothel. Dogs can symbolize desire and cats can symbolize sensuality. I absolutely adore when my writing ties together like this! Like chapter four of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" where Alice ventures inside the White Rabbit's house, I wanted Alois to do the same. Originally I had planned for him to come across the brothel that he had grown up in but then I remembered my hatred of Hannah and everything slowly came together. Once I discovered that cathouses really did exist, I decided that it would be run by maids like Hannah who would be ragdolls since Alois treats her like one. I also wanted to get across what a horrific time Alois had growing up in a brothel and how he views men (this is one of the reasons why Alois feels safer sleeping with boys and has convinced himself that it is better to pleasure rather than to be pleased), so I had the men take on the role of dogs. Since Alois would undoubtly be disturbed by his fellow prostitutes as well, I decided to make them cats because cats can be just as dangerous as dogs sometimes. Once I was encouraged by the fact of everything I incorporated in the cathouse had symbolic meanings, I felt confident enough to go ahead with this chapter.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to me to recieve reviews! It's very flattering to have so many favorites but I would prefer reviews because they let me know what I'm doing right to please my readers!


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